Sir Steve Smith, president of Universities UK said in a recent interview that he believes the highest achieving students will be seen as “gold dust” to universities when the new system comes into place next year.

Smith went on to explain that those universities that currently attract a select group of students with the best grades could face some difficult decisions saying that “the complication [for universities] is if you don’t recruit the same percentage of students with AAB or better than you had last year what happens is you lose the funding for those students.” However, the UK government has recently proposed reforms which could allow institutions to take on unlimited numbers of students who achieve AAB or higher at A-level.

This means that middle-ranking universities who are charging the maximum £9,000 tuition fees, could lose out on their best-performing applicants who are more likely to be targets by the elite institutions. In response to this it is believed that some universities may look to drop the annual tuition fee cost down to £7,500 to gain extra places.

The University of Kent is leading the way by offering students who achieve three A’s at A-level a £2,000 scholarship, regardless of their family income.

While these proposals may seem like a great opportunity to those students of low family-income and high grades, it has been met with some criticism. Sally Hunt, general secretary of the University and College Union expressed her concerns over the introduction of a higher education market, deeming it “a recipe for disaster”.

With teaching budgets being slashed by up to 80%, universities need to encourage more and more students to their institution to make up for the loss of income. Hunt said that she believes “the government is obviously hoping that expanding places for students with AAB grades will lead to a bidding war and drive down costs, after it spectacularly botched up its sums on university funding.”

Hunt then went on to say how she fails to see how “moving from a system where there is collaboration between institutions to one which encourages cut-throat competition is in the interest of our sector.”

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Professor Borysiewicz was nominated by the University Council. Subject to the approval of the Regent House, the University’s governing body, he will succeed the present Vice-Chancellor, Professor Alison Richard, at the end of her seven-year term on October 1 2010.

The Vice-Chancellor is the full-time, resident head of the University and its most senior academic officer. The role dates back to 1412 and Professor Borysiewicz will be the 345th office-holder. The nomination is the culmination of an international search, which the University Council’s Advisory Committee began earlier this year.

Professor Frank Kelly, Master of Christ’s College, Cambridge, who oversaw the search, said:

“In its 800th anniversary year the University has had much to celebrate from its past achievements and its transforming effect on lives and society, and it looks to the future with confidence and ambition.

“Professor Borysiewicz’s wide experience and outstanding personal qualities equip him superbly to lead Cambridge as a world-leading centre for education and research.”

Prior to joining the MRC, Professor Borysiewicz was Deputy Rector at Imperial College London, having joined in 2001 as Principal of the Faculty of Medicine. In his latter role at Imperial, Sir Leszek was responsible for the overall academic and scientific direction of the college, particularly the development of inter-disciplinary research between engineering, physical sciences and biomedicine. During his time at Imperial, Sir Leszek was also Governor of the Wellcome Trust (2006-2007), Chairman of the UKCRC Integrated Academic Training Awards Panel (2005-2007), and he continues to Chair the HEFCE RAE Main Panel A Assessment Panel.

Previously he had been a Lecturer in Medicine at the University of Cambridge (1988-1991), as a member of Wolfson College where he is now an Honorary Fellow, before moving to the University of Wales as Professor of Medicine (1991 – 2001).

Professor Borysiewicz was knighted in the 2001 New Year’s Honours List for his research into developing vaccines, including a vaccine to prevent the development of cervical cancer.

Professor Borysiewicz said: “I am delighted to be nominated for the position of Vice-Chancellor and excited by the opportunity to build on Cambridge’s strong tradition of academic excellence in both teaching and research. I will be sad to leave the Medical Research Council but I am proud to have helped the MRC write the next chapter in its long and successful history of improving human health through the impact of its excellent research.”

It is hoped that speakers of up to 100 different languages will perform Auld Lang Syne, one of Scotland’s best-loved and most international compositions, on Monday 30 November in the historic Bute Hall at the University.

The world record attempt has been organised as a celebration of the University’s multi-cultural make-up and to mark the end of the Hunterian Museum’s successful Homecoming Burns exhibition.

 Written by Robert Burns in 1788 and later set to the tune of a Scottish folk song, Auld Lang Syne, which is traditionally sung at Hogmanay, has become one of the most recognisable songs in the world.

University Principal Anton Muscatelli will welcome participants to the event on the night. He said: “There are over 100 different languages spoken by staff and students of the University of Glasgow and we are delighted that so many have signed up to support what promises to be a unique and special occasion. Singing Robert Burns’ international anthem will be a fitting way to end the end of the year of Homecoming.”

If you are interested in learning more about studying in Scotland, click here to read the UK edition of i-studentadvisor.

Under the directorship of Professor Dr Di Zhang at Shanghai Jiao Tong University’s State Key Lab of Metal Matrix Composites, the appointment will help strengthen on-going and future interactions between this group and the Biophysical Chemistry group of Dr Jenkins at the University of Bath.

Researchers in both groups will build on their shared expertise in helping to create the next generation of so-called ’smart’ surfaces that are able to respond to changes in their surroundings.

Dr Jenkins explained: “Bacterial cells respond to changes in their environment by sending out chemical signals to communicate with other cells. We’re hoping to use nature as inspiration to develop smart surfaces that can sense these chemicals and respond to them.

“For example, we could make surfaces that change colour when they come into contact with bacteria. These could be used in wound dressings to warn of infection.

“Researchers from both institutions are excited by the great potential that nanotechnology has for creating these smart surfaces, and so we’re delighted at this opportunity to strengthen our collaboration with colleagues at Shanghai Jiao Tong University.”

In addition to collaborating on future projects, the two universities will be arranging reciprocal visits for research students from both institutions and Dr Jenkins will be visiting China next May.